Meanwhile, Caribbean rival Puerto Rico made consecutive appearances in the WBC finals in 2013 and 2017, albeit losing both, and stood second to Japan for the most all-time WBC wins (20) after the 2017 tournament. Defending champion Dominican Republic extended its WBC winning streak to 11 games, dating to the 2013 tournament, before also being eliminated in the second round. The tournament was announced in May 2005 by Commissioner of Baseball Bud Selig. This is a significant week in the sports world -- for a few reasons. The two trophies earned by Japan during the inaugural and second classics have been on display at the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame.[13]. South Korea went on to advance to the semifinals with a 6–0 record but lost to Japan (a team South Korea had beaten twice in the earlier rounds) for a berth in the final game. A crowd of 11,388 attended the World Series opener between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays, the lowest count in a Fall Classic since Game 6 in 1909 By RONALD BLUM AP Baseball … ARLINGTON, Texas -- Julie and Lance Smith walked through the mostly empty concourse of Globe Life Field. If qualifying rounds are included, Israel also has a .750 winning percentage (9-3 record), with a 4–2 record in the WBC itself. Players' families were allowed starting for the 18 first-round playoff games, the 15 Division Series games and the AL Championship Series between Tampa Bay and Houston in San Diego, with fans added for the Dodgers’ matchup against Atlanta in the NL Championship Series in Arlington, an average of 10,835 for the seven games. The World Baseball Classic is sanctioned by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) as the sport’s official National Team World Championship. Along with Japan, three other nations have advanced to at least the second round in all four WBCs: Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the United States. The Dominican Republic also became the first (and to date, only) team to go undefeated (8-0) through the tournament. The US posted an underwhelming 10-10 overall record through the first three WBCs, with only one appearance in the semifinals. During batting practice, through the new stadium’s glass walls, the sun glistened off the red brick of the old stadium across the street beyond left field, a field now used for high school football. Colombia and Israel qualified for the first time, with Israel, using a roster mostly of Jewish American players, able to reach the second round in its WBC debut. These playoffs are unlike any other in the sport's history. The WBC does not hold a third-place playoff, so the ranking of the third- and fourth-placed teams is determined by the WBSC.